UNI football at Southern Illinois: Live stream, point spread, 3 keys to the game

CEDAR FALLS - After a 20-10 win against then-No. 15 Illinois State last Saturday at the UNI-Dome, No. 4 Northern Iowa (2-1) is back on the road at Southern Illinois (2-1) this Saturday.

Picked fifth in the Missouri Valley Football Conference's preseason poll, the Salukis burst onto the scene with a 38-14 win in week 2 against then-No. 1 North Dakota State, snapping the Bison's 39-game winning streak. SIU followed up its win over NDSU last week with a 30-22 triumph against Youngstown State.

With starting quarterback Kare Lyles sidelined with a rib injury, the Salukis' past two wins have happened with Nic Baker under center.

With that in mind, here are three keys to a UNI win against Southern Illinois:

1. Make the backup QB win the game

Southern Illinois' potent three-headed rushing attack - 180.5 yards per game and 4.3 per carry - should be the focal point of head coach Mark Farley and defensive coordinator Jeremiah Johnson's gameplan.

UNI has proven an ability to control the line of scrimmage so far this season, limiting opponents to 100.3 yards per game on the ground, and SIU coach Nick Hill - a former Salukis quarterback himself - will undoubtedly build a game plan to mitigate what's necessary from backup QB Baker. As a result, UNI's ability to put the Salukis behind the chains and force Baker to make plays with his arm - whether it be by stacking the box or run blitzing - would seem to be the defensive blueprint for a win.

2. Special teams play-making

Quan Hampton's 65-yard kickoff return to open last week's game against Illinois State proved to be one of the key plays, setting up one of what became just two touchdown-scoring drives against the Redbirds.

Until UNI's offense finds more rhythm and consistency, a positive or negative special-teams play will continue to have more potential than usual to swing a game. Something as simple as a punt in the fourth quarter to maintain a field position advantage could make the difference between a win or loss in Carbondale.

3. A better ‘Plan B'

Last week's fast start by the offense included an impressive pair of drives netting 10 points with more than six minutes left in the first quarter. Will McElvain completed 3 of 5 passes on the two drives for 45 yards. He also continued to display a better grasp of keys on the read-option, rushing for an 11-yard touchdown.

Besides a field goal early in the fourth quarter, it wasn't until the final drive of the game that UNI scored as it got back in the end zone. Farley says the offense lost its rhythm and he lauded McElvain for managing the game and realizing it wasn't up to him to win it. Against a top-10 team this week, it's hard to picture the Panthers' offense being able to suffer similar struggles while still managing to win the game. One way or another, a better ‘Plan B' needs to be in place for McElvain and the UNI offense.

UNI vs. Illinois State

Kickoff time: Noon (CT)

Line: UNI -4

TV: none

Live stream: ESPN+